EDSS 541 RR#3

Reading Response #3

“Helps them teach an interdisciplinary thematic unit as a meaningful way for students to learn through connected relationships of content”

Model #1

Several Disciplines Can Initiate ITU. Often, to help the students recognize connections between selected content areas, the initial ITU activities can be designed to allow the students to assume the role of real-world professionals

Over the next few sessions, you and the students can approach the unit from the point of view of a particular discipline and then move on to a different discipline every day or two.

As the teacher, you would first solicit and introduce questions an archeologist would ask and discuss, and then demonstrate how an archeologist would organize and share information about the topic

Ongoing Developmental Activities

Ongoing developmental activities are those that make up the day-to-day energy of the unit-consider these activities the ongoing laps of an educational Indy 500. Once the ITU has been initiated, the students can become occupied with a variety of daily activities.

Culminating Activities

A culminating activity is one that incorporates sharing the product of the students' study-consider this a final lap in an educational Indy 500 for an ITU. You can accept the students' suggestions for a final event if it engages them in summarizing what they have learned with others.

Activities

Discovering patterns in disciplines can become

one of the culminating projects for an ITU if it is appropriate

for your group of students

A quiz show as a culminating activity can help

older students review information they gain in an

ITU about a period in history

Readings and inserts adapted from:
( Roberts, P. & Kellough, R. (2004). A complete guide to integrated thematic units. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.)